Asa Willmarth, one of the five brothers of John Willmarth, and the progenitor of the Willmarth families now in Addison, was born in Providence, R. I., April 27, 1746, and married Chloe Peck, September 20, 1770. They resided in North Adams, Mass., for a time, then immigrated to Addison in 1788, locating in the eastern part of the town. The country was then nearly an unbroken wilderness, the road to Vergennes being simply a bridle path marked by blazed trees. Asa died February 8, 1830. At the time of his wife’s death, October 22, 1829, they had lived together fifty-nine years and raised a family of ten children, eight of whom became the heads of families. Five were sons, who settled about the old homestead so closely that their farms adjoined. The daughters married and moved away, two of them to Canton and one to Farmington, N. Y. A representative of each of the brothers now resides on the respective homesteads. Asa Willmarth, sr., erected a framed dwelling modeled after the style of those times, east Of which there were but three others in the township; but this was subsequently remodeled into the present comfortable and handsome residence. The farm descended to George, and from him to Asa, the present proprietor. George was a public-spirited man; represented the town in the Legislature; was a justice of the peace many years, and served in the War of 1812. Asa has in his possession several interesting relics, among which is a powder-horn which was used at the battle of Bennington, a pair of knee-breeches worn by his grandfather, and the old sword and epaulets worn by George when captain of the State militia.
